Joint Action Against Illegal Fishing Along Yangtze TriumphsIn an effort to check illegal fishing activities along the Yangtze River, 1,700 cases have been investigated, with over 1,300 people being punished by law and administrative regulations.The information was announced by the Ministry of Agriculture Monday. The ministry added that over 1,800 sets of electrical devices were seized and 700 fishermen were fined over 473,700 yuan. According to a ministry source, 32 workshops that produced and sold illegal fishing equipment were also closed for investigation. Chen Zhengguo, an official with the Administrative Commission of the Yangtze River Fisheries Resources under the ministry, said that the efforts helped protect fishing resources along the Yangtze River. The joint action, which involved seven provinces and two municipalities, including Sichuan, Hunan, Jiangxi, Chongqing and Shanghai, ended last week. The Yangtze, rich in aquatic resources, accounts for 50 percent of China's water area and is home to many endangered aquatic animals. Illegal fishing activities using electric shock devices, explosives and poison has prevailed along the Yangtze since the 1990s, which heavily destroyed aquatic resources and the environment. The Chinese government launched preventative measures along the river last year for the first time with 1,007 cases investigated and over 1,200 sets of electric devices seized in the year. |
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